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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. court — for sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. court — of a king
  10. firm — a company
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of law
  17. firm — steady
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com